Favorite Fast Casual Restaurants

Yappi

Yappi

Go Buckeyes
I prefer fast casual restaurants over most other types of restaurants. Fast-food is usually not good enough food while traditional sit-down restaurants are becoming too expensive with limited workers.

So what are your favorite fast-casual restaurants?
 
 
We eat at Old Carolina BBQ and Five Guys a couple times a month each. Both have raised prices lately but are still a good bargain for their quality of food.
 
The group based out of Columbus that does Brassica & North Star Cafe are really doing a good job. I also really like TownHall in CLE but ownership is a huge problem, Bobby George is a hot head that treats everyone rudely including cops. Does have a great concept and great food though. Finally love me some Choolaah when craving Indian food, you can tell it's solid by the amount of southern Asians that eat there.

Homepage

Choolaah is a fast-casual Indian restaurant with a modern commitment to good health. Traditional Indian recipes, spices, and tandoor cooking.
choolaah.com choolaah.com
 
Our favorite casual sit down restaurant is Bonchon (Korean Fried Chicken). We try not to eat there more than once a month, though, since it's probably not the healthiest eats.
 
Dickeys.

There is a chain down South that I would consider casual (sit down, no drive through, order at register) that I really like called Newk's.

newks.com

Newk's Eatery

Newk's Eatery has your favorite sandwiches, soups, and pizzas. Order now. Newk’s Eatery is a family-rooted quality kitchen for high-quality, feel-good comforts. Curbside or Delivery.
newks.com newks.com
 
Dickey's is probably our favorite chain Bar BQ place. Mission Bar BQ has been alright. We tried City Barbeque the other day and was really disappointed.
 
soccerdad72 said:
Our favorite casual sit down restaurant is Bonchon (Korean Fried Chicken). We try not to eat there more than once a month, though, since it's probably not the healthiest eats.
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Love there product, something about that crispy shell they get on their chicken. I do reek of garlic though after eating there...
 
I take it we are talking places like Chipotle, Piada and even Subway?


Also, while not quite the same, while Frisch's and Skyline would be considered fast food, both also have super fast dine-in service.
 
It's so mainstream and has been so for years, but golly, Chipotle really has it down. The whole menu is a banger. Qdoba had an edge on Chipotle when it came to their standard taco menu, but that seems to have gone away. I don't have a reason to go to Qdoba anymore if Chipotle is an option. Hot Head sucks.

Special shout out to Piada, Noodles and Co., and Tazikis.
 
I don't know any sit-down chains cheaper than our local owned. Maybe I don't understand "fast casual." I'm pretty much getting priced out of anything anyhow and prices NEVER come down, once they know people are willing to pay. I'm getting creative with Meiler brand Bran flakes.
 
Some notables in the Cbus area:
  1. Brassica
  2. Piada
  3. Shake Shack
  4. FUSIAN
  5. Bibibop
  6. Agape
  7. Hot Chicken Takeover
I'm not too picky, so I celebrate this entire list.
 
Worked from home today for the first time in about a year and picked up lunch from El Campesino in Perry Hts. While not 5 star by any means, it's consistent, quick and a decent value. Most meals come with a big bag of warm chips and some very good salsa. The quac is also very good. And while I didn't partake at lunch, they make a quality margarita.
 
There’s an El Toro Express going in by the Dayton Mall. Sit down food in a Drive Thru fashion. Should be interesting.

There’s also a drive thru Jimmy John’s nearby. They indeed are Freaky Fast.

Also some love to Penn Station.
 
chs1971 said:
Texas Roadhouse is as close to fast casual as we get.
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I always thought of fast casual as a place where there is no wait staff. Order at the register and then pickup. Fuddruckers was another favorite when we went to a tourist area that had them. Probably last time I had them was in Myrtle Beach 5-6 years ago.
 
Yappi said:
I always thought of fast casual as a place where there is no wait staff. Order at the register and then pickup. Fuddruckers was another favorite when we went to a tourist area that had them. Probably last time I had them was in Myrtle Beach 5-6 years ago.
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From Wikipedia>

A fast casual restaurant, found primarily in the United States and Canada, does not offer full table service, but advertises higher quality food than fast food restaurants, with fewer frozen or processed ingredients. It is an intermediate concept between fast food and casual dining.
 
soccerdad72 said:
Dickey's is probably our favorite chain Bar BQ place. Mission Bar BQ has been alright. We tried City Barbeque the other day and was really disappointed.
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I had City BBQ once down in CBus, and it was decent. They are about to open a new one any day now in Soulon, hope it is good.
 
Dickey's, McAllister's, Chipotle, and occasionally Panera. I also like Jersey Mike's, Penn Station, and Jimmy John's but not sure if they fall into the fast food or fast casual category.
 
NewOldBlood said:
Dickey's, McAllister's, Chipotle, and occasionally Panera. I also like Jersey Mike's, Penn Station, and Jimmy John's but not sure if they fall into the fast food or fast casual category.
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if anyone is looking to be healthyish, the new grilled chicken sandwich at Panera is good.


Along that topic, saw an article the other day that listed Panera and Chipotle as 1/2 "fast food" restaurants that use the freshest/healthiest ingredients.
 
Some thoughts on a few places discussed:

I don't mind Chipolte when good but they do have very uneven execution depending on the location. The thing about a large chain is they need consistency, especially when the menu is very limited. They are also missing a few key trends in Mexican cuisine, namely they need to figure out a way to get fish tacos on to the menu as well as a mole sauce.

City BBQ is another place when done well it is actually decent authentic BBQ; they can be uneven though, especially on the trickier meats like brisket. I do like their BBQ sauce choices and they have the important spicy vinegar topping, they call it swine wine, that is needed for a true Carolina pulled pork sandwich. Stuff is also great on french fries or hush puppies.

I don't consider a sandwich shop fast casual, it is either fast food or a deli. Subway is one place I still like to get in line so I can adjust the various toppings to the way I want them. Also as a tip in a restaurant the lingo to use if you don't want much of a certain ingredient say go "easy", many folks say go lite and to some that means use a lite ingredient made healthier like mayo or cheese.
 
Yappi said:
I always thought of fast casual as a place where there is no wait staff. Order at the register and then pickup. Fuddruckers was another favorite when we went to a tourist area that had them. Probably last time I had them was in Myrtle Beach 5-6 years ago.
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That makes sense. In that case, we've been to Chipotle, Five Guys, Qdoba, Schlotzsky's, Panera, Pot Belly, Boston Market, Jimmy Johns, Firehouse Subs, Dickeys Barbecue, and Einstein Bros.

The only ones I've been to more than twice are Five Guys and Panera,

If barbecue counts as "fast casual," I have been to Franklin's, Rudy's, and City and rank them 1-3 on my fast casual list.

A couple of folks mentioned City BBQ, Rudy's is also a chain. Many in Texas, a few in AZ & NM. Rudy's is even more casual and fun than City. Worth a visit if you are near one.
 
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